You're My Best Friend
by makeitmine
Summary: AU. What happens if Blaine doesn't realize  he loves Kurt during Original Song? Years later, it hits him at the absolute wrong time. Title from the Queen song.


Written for the Glee Fluff meme. Summary of the prompt: Blaine doesn't realize he's in love with Kurt until years after, when he starts dating someone. Blaine then tries to teach the boyfriend how to take care of Kurt. Enjoy!

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><p>To anyone who visited the AndersonBerry/Hummel apartment (because it was the only fair way to name it, though Blaine secretly enjoyed beating the two "stars" by having his name listed on their mailbox) for the first time, it was natural to assume the two males who resided there were partners. They were corrected pretty quickly. Four years after the Jeremiah debacle, Kurt and Blaine's relationship had not changed, and Kurt's crush had yet to diminish.

Things right after the coffeeshop revelation were slightly tense. First was Blaine's experimentation with Rachel, then the failed attempt at getting Kurt comfortable with sex, then the Regionals disaster. After the beloved Warblers' mascot died, Kurt was rewarded for his moving performance of Blackbird. Unfortunately, being sandwiched in between Misery and Raise Your Glass did no favors for standing out against New Directions' original songs. Kurt didn't hold it against Blaine, though. He knew the talent his friend possessed was hardly shown in the competition. Everything between the two was fine until Kurt's decision to go back to McKinley after Karofsky's apology. Blaine was worried Kurt had fallen into a trap and the bullying would start back up, despite the main assailant joining forces with Santana, of all people, to put an end to it. The day it was announced, he spoke with Wes, David, and Thad about honoring Kurt's time at Dalton, then called Mercedes to set the performance up. Friday morning, a caravan of teenage boys headed from Westerville to Lima to say goodbye to one of their own. After the reintroduction of Kurt to the student body, Mercedes called Blaine over. He brought his guitar with him and began the song. i"Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road…"/i Kurt was blown away. This was the Blaine he saw during his failed spying attempt: raw and emotional. Once the Warblers finished the song and Blaine strummed the last chord, they embraced. Kurt, caught up in the moment, whispered in Blaine's ear, "I'm never saying goodbye to you." He knew even if his crush died out before Blaine liked him, they would remain best friends. He did have the time of his life, like the song said.

Despite the distance, Kurt and Blaine tried to get together as often as possible. They were practically inseparable over the summer after Blaine was turned down for a performing job and Kings Island, but once the school year began, everything became too much. Kurt was busy with the school production of West Side Story (where he played Officer Krupke, losing out on Tony to his own brother), the election for class president (which he won), and the general stress of senior year and applying to NYADA, not to mention Glee club. Blaine didn't have to worry about college until the next year, so he had some free time and began dating a new transfer student, Sebastian Smythe. Things between them were hot and heavy, and Kurt felt he was losing Blaine. Even at sectionals, where New Directions easily defeated the Warblers again, they only had a chance to say hi to each other right after the results were announced. It wasn't until Kurt received his acceptance letter in February that he was able to really spend time with Blaine, when he drove up to celebrate with the Hummels. Kurt noticed every time Blaine's phone went off, the other boy frowned at it, whether it was a text or a call. It happened quite a bit for a few hours' visit. It turned out that once Sebastian found out about Blaine's plans, he began accusing his boyfriend of cheating. Blaine broke down in front of Kurt, explaining how Sebastian was manipulative, controlling, and jealous. Kurt saw the last text for himself. ifine then, it's me or him. choose wisely./i He was in shock. This boy was attempting to ruin their friendship, and was succeeding. He was prepared to say goodbye forever when Blaine typed out the reply. iI already lost three months with my best friend. No boyfriend is worth that./i From then on, everything was back to before. They had weekly movie dates (Kurt suspected he was the only one who called it that), went shopping with many of the New Directions girls, and even attended Kurt's senior prom together (as friends, of course). After McKinley's graduation, they spent every day at each other's houses, getting in as much time as they could before Kurt headed up to New York with Rachel, leaving Blaine to complete his senior year at Dalton.

Surprisingly, the added distance did nothing to hamper them. Blaine was now on the Warblers' Council, with his first act being retiring Wes', and later Thad's, gavel. He once again was named lead soloist, and helped the Warblers make a run all the way to Nationals. He worked hard in his classes and even harder to get accepted into Juilliard's vocal arts program. The two trips to New York meant two quick chances to hang out with Kurt, who was plenty busy not only with classes and performances, but also dates. While he and Blaine talked as often as they could, he decided to use the time to try to get over him. He went out with several classmates or costars, but each time, he kept comparing them to Blaine. After the sixth failed date, he decided getting over it wasn't going to happen for a while, and he just sat back and enjoyed the city without the attachment of a boyfriend. Besides, Blaine was going to be residing in town as of August, and he needed to get him settled in to the hustle and bustle early.

Kurt decided before Blaine's first day of college to give him a makeover. Into the trash went every bottle of gel that was brought to the city. The pile for Goodwill included several pairs of highwater pants and plenty of grandpa-style sweater vests. In their places were an entire line of hair products meant to control curly hair and lots of fitted, solid-colored pieces and tailored jeans. When Blaine tried on the outfit Kurt chose for the first day, he ran over and gave his friend a huge hug. Once over, Kurt stepped back to take a look at Blaine, realizing the crush wouldn't be ending soon. Blaine looked even more gorgeous than he did when they met. The remainder of the year went smoothly, with the two catching each others' recitals and showcases, along with Rachel's, and spending free time catching as many Broadway shows as they could.

Now they were roommates. Blaine was a sophomore at Juilliard, and Kurt and Rachel were juniors at NYADA. The three of them found a somewhat-reasonably priced apartment on the Lower East Side. Classes at both colleges were exhausting, with the performances even more numerous than before. Even in their free time, all three had picked up part-time jobs (Rachel as an assistant at a dance studio, Kurt at an off-Broadway theatre box office, and Blaine doing acoustic performances at the café three blocks up). Free time was extremely limited, but everyone tried to make time for each other. Everything ran wonderfully despite the hectic schedules…until Kurt started dating his coworker.

His name was Troy Lykins. He was 6'3" with spiked blond hair and sparkling green eyes. He came from a wealthy family in Connecticut who had ties going back to the Revolutionary days. He was a double major in history and philosophy at NYU, in his fifth year with plans to continue on in law to meet his aspirations of becoming a US Senator. Troy loved spending hours at the Met observing each exhibit and analyzing what each artist was going through with each piece. He looked like he stepped right off the Alexander McQueen runway. Troy was smart, good looking, and rich.

Essentially, Troy Lykins was everything Blaine Anderson was not.

Troy ended up being the first guy Kurt made it to the second date yet. When he came home from it, he was on cloud nine, already thinking up plans for the third. Blaine had been helping Rachel read for an upcoming audition when they were interrupted. "Hello, my absolutely favorite roommates of all time," Kurt sang out.

"Kurt, are you okay?" Rachel asked.

"Better than okay. Date number two was perfect! He took me to this bistro up on 21st, then to an art house theatre where we saw the original Sabrina. And then he asked me out for Thursday. And I think I know what to do…would you guys like to meet him?"

Blaine was taken aback. "Already? Don't you think it's a little sudden?"

"Not at all," Kurt said. "I mean, it's first weekend of spring break and none of us are doing anything. Troy's going to be heading home Monday for his dad's birthday, but he wanted to see me beforehand. Plus, if he's going to be around for a while, he should be meeting my best friends, don't you think?"

"Kurt, while I applaud your attempt at getting us involved in your fledgling love life, do you think this is a good idea? You two have already been out twice in a week and now want to add on again, this time meeting the people you each hold on to?"

"Rach, I know you're worried, but don't be. He's harmless."

Rachel was still unsure. "Well, okay. I guess I can make sure he gets the Rachel Berry seal of approval."

Kurt nodded. "Excellent. You in, Blaine?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. If it's early enough I can be there, but I have a set at On the Grind at 8 that night," Blaine answered, even though he was just as wary of the meeting as Rachel.

"Great!" Kurt said. "I'll text him and we'll work out all the details, okay?" He then headed to his bedroom to begin his evening skincare.

As soon as the door closed, Rachel turned to Blaine. "You are pathetic. When are you going to tell him?"

"Tell him what?" he asked.

"That you're in love with him."

Blaine laughed. "Rachel, he and I have been friends for four years now. I wasn't in love when he told me he was, and I'm definitely not now."

"That is a lie and you know it. You're upset that he's finally getting over you after all this time. Come on, at least say there's something there."

"Rach," he started, "even if there were feelings there, I couldn't do anything. He's my best friend, and I wouldn't throw that away now over a failed relationship. Which, by the way, isn't happening because I. Don't. Love. Kurt." He sat back and started thinking about the entire friendship the two men had. Four years of laughter, heartbreak, and being there when nobody else was. He knew Kurt's coffee order and what movies made him feel better. He knew when to encourage him and when to hide from the wrath of the bitch stare. And something clicked inside his head, spreading throughout his nerves like wildfire.

"I'm in love with my best friend," Blaine whispered.

Rachel beamed at the admission. She reached over and hugged Blaine tighter than ever. "I wondered if this day would ever come," she said, trying to keep the tears back.

"What do I do now? He really likes Troy, I can see that. I can't just say 'hi, I've been an idiot since we met and want to be the one treating you like a king.'"

"We'll think of something, Blaine. I mean, it's only the third date. It's not like they're engaged already." Blaine had never been more thankful for Rachel's presence in his life.

The days leading up to the date were stressful to all three, with more performances and midterms to get through before the break. Soon enough, Sunday arrived, bringing with it a taste of early spring to New York. Blaine was dreading the dinner, and he glared at Rachel when she announced she woke up with a severe cold and would not be going out with them. He spent the two hours Kurt took getting ready thinking of his own way to get out of it. When nothing came up other than cutting a guitar string, he knew it wasn't worth it and grabbed his jacket at 5:30 when it was time to leave.

The restaurant Troy had picked out wasn't too far from their apartment, so they had agreed to meet there. He was waiting for Kurt and Blaine at the host stand. He gave Kurt a quick kiss, sweet and chaste, that Blaine had to hold back a groan for. Kurt introduced the two to each other, then the host came up to seat them. As the dinner progressed, Blaine found himself really liking Troy. Just as they finished eating, Kurt received a call from Carole, who was having trouble fixing a risotto for herself and Burt. He excused himself, leaving Blaine and Troy at the table.

"You know, Blaine," Troy said, "I'm glad I got to meet you tonight. Kurt is always talking about how you came into his life at the right time, and seeing your friendship first hand makes me glad he has someone like you."

"Thanks. He's been speaking about you some too. It's hard to get him to stop, really," Blaine chuckled.

"Oh yeah? That's adorable."

Blaine suddenly decided while they had the time to interrogate Troy as boyfriend material, just to see if he could be potential competition. "He is adorable. But enough about just him, how do you feel about the two of you?"

"To be honest, I really care about him. I think there could be something more, but only time will tell, huh?"

Blaine nodded. "Yeah, you just have to get to know him a little. Like with his coffee order…"

"Grande nonfat mocha. Trust me, Blaine, I learned that one his first day at the theatre."

"Yeah, I guess he is easy with that. But, like, what about his Friday night call? Does that bother you?"

Troy looked surprised. "His what? I know he said he's unavailable until really late, but I usually work those nights anyway."

"He calls his father every Friday, right as he's about to eat dinner. It's a tradition they had after his mom passed away, and even being in New York, he can't bear to miss one Friday. Once he almost did in high school, then Burt had a heart attack later in the day."

"Oh, wow. No, I didn't know that. But that's good he has the relationship like that with his father."

Blaine nodded and said, "It is. I kind of envy him for it, because I don't have the same with my parents. And every year, on the anniversary of his mother's death, he puts on his Beatles playlist and sits in his room, thinking about how much he misses her and what she would think of him now."

"The Beatles? Now that's something I didn't expect," Troy said.

"They were her favorite band. The music calms him. When he went to Dalton with me for a few months, our show choir's canary mascot died suddenly and he dedicated Blackbird to his memory. It was stunning."

"I bet. So is there anything else I need to know?"

"He shops like a maniac. I swear, last month we went to Barney's and in three hours he picked out seven different outfits. Oh, and he spends an hour every night with his skin creams, so if you're looking to cuddle with him it might take a while," Blaine continued. "And if he ever insults something you're wearing or doing, don't take it personally. He does it out of love. But doing the same about his hair will give you a glare that could bring down the Great Wall."

Troy was overwhelmed with all the information. "That's a lot to take in. How long did you guys date?"

"I…uh, well, we never actually dated," Blaine stuttered. "We're just best friends."

"You're kidding, right? I always figured you were exes who just remained close and I'd always be getting compared to you, but it turns out nothing happened?"

"It's complicated. Let's just say things were recently brought to my attention that probably could have benefitted everyone, but it's too late now."

"No, it isn't," Troy said. "He loves you, Blaine. If he wants to be with you over me, I understand. I'm not going to play second best because you guys can't get it together and ibe/i together."

Blaine was about to explain that it wasn't Kurt's fault they weren't together when Kurt came back to the table. "Sorry about that. Sometimes I think I should have stayed back in Ohio to cater to my family every night."

"That's okay, babe. We were just getting to know each other," Troy replied, looking at Blaine.

Blaine suddenly felt like he was about to throw up. He needed to get out of there. "Look, I'm sorry, but I should be getting home to pick up my guitar and head to the coffee shop. You two have fun. It was nice meeting you, Troy." He stood up and did his best not to run out of the restaurant and back to the apartment. Rachel had left a note that she was miraculously feeling better and had gone out with a couple of her classmates, so he laid down on the couch and let go. He was hurting. Four years of being oblivious to the one person he cared about more than anyone, and now it was too late. Once the tears dried, he got back up and went to the bathroom to make sure he didn't look like the hell he felt he did, then grabbed his things to head to On the Grind.

Blaine's set at the shop went as well as he expected. His mood meant he was playing a bunch of melancholy songs, but people seemed to be enjoying them. About 45 minutes in, he saw Kurt walk in alone. He was surprised, since he knew Kurt and Troy were heading to the movies after dinner. Every so often he would look up at his friend, who was staring at him with adoration. As his set was coming to a close, Blaine knew he needed to say something before his feeling would get suppressed again.

"Okay, for this last number, I want to dedicate it to the person who changed my life when I was sixteen. He showed up when both of us were at our lowest points, and we basically became inseparable. We fought over so many things, but in the end, we knew our bond wouldn't break. In fact, I want to say it's stronger than ever. This is for you, Kurt," he said looking over as he started playing.

i"Ooh. you make me live  
>whatever this world can give to me<br>It's you, you're all I see  
>Ooh, you make me live now honey<br>Ooh, you make me live

You're the best friend  
>that I ever had<br>I've been with you such a long time  
>You're my sunshine<br>And I want you to know  
>That my feelings are true<br>I really love you  
>You're my best friend<p>

Ooh, you make me live"/i

As Blaine continued on with the song, Kurt remained motionless. After he finished, Blaine was caught up with patrons coming forward to tell him how well he played, and some even complimented his finale choice. By the time he got his guitar packed away and a couple of coffees to go, he realized Kurt was nowhere to be found. Dejected, he walked out the door, only to find his roommate waiting for him.

"Troy told me everything after you left," Kurt said. "Why didn't you ever tell me before?"

Blaine shrugged. "I only just realized it after we talked about tonight. Kurt, I'm sorry if I ruined things between the two of you. That was the last thing I wanted to do and you deserve someone who can be open with you all the time and isn't going to ignore things for ages before it's too late."

"Blaine," Kurt started, "you didn't ruin a thing. He and I agreed to be friends, but he does have one thing to say to you."

"What's that?" Blaine asked as he handed Kurt one of the cups.

"He said to tell you congratulations." With that, Kurt leaned in and kissed Blaine, who was startled. This was nothing like his first kiss with Sebastian. It was full of passion and honesty, and he didn't want it to end any time soon.

When they finally broke apart, Blaine had to catch his breath. "You know, maybe I should have said I love you after Pavarotti died. I don't know how I've gone this long without that."

Kurt laughed. "I probably would have gone with it even then." He then took a sip of his mocha and looked at Blaine. "You know my coffee order?"

Blaine grinned, his thoughts going back to a time of red hearts and agreeing to be Billy Crystal. "Would you expect anything less of me?" he asked as they began walking back home.

"I expect a lot more, actually," Kurt replied before going in for another kiss.

i~Four years later~/i

Blaine was talking to one of his coworkers when he saw the familiar blond head towering over people. He excused himself to head over towards Troy. "Hey, it's great to see you!" he said as they hugged.

"You too, Blaine," Troy replied. Ever since the fateful date, Troy and Kurt had remained friends, but he was even gladder to become close with Blaine. They discovered they had a lot in common, and it wasn't uncommon for him to show up with tickets for the hottest play in town when none of them had plans. "How are you feeling?"

"Incredible. Did Zachary come with you?"

"Unfortunately, no. Being a first year resident is tough, and he just didn't have the time compared to others to take the weekend off and come down here. But he sends his best wishes for you guys."

"Tell him thanks," Blaine said. Troy had met his boyfriend on a vacation the three men and Rachel took to Miami for the actors' graduation. Zachary had just finished at Harvard, and was employed at one of the top hospitals in the country. Troy was working his way up at his family's law firm, so they rarely got to see each other even in their own house. Kurt and Rachel were struggling to get noticed, but things were looking up. Blaine, however, had been discovered one night at On the Grind by a music scout and had become an internet sensation. He dropped out of Juilliard early into his senior year, but he was overjoyed with getting to play his own music for people. "You guys are probably next, huh?"

Troy laughed. "We don't even get to see each other more than grabbing breakfast and when we go to bed. How would we have time to plan a wedding?"

"Hey, if Kurt and I can do it while I'm on tour, I'm sure you two can find a way," Blaine said. "You know, I want to thank you also. If you hadn't asked Kurt out, we probably wouldn't be here today."

"It's all good. You two are meant for each other. I don't think I would have survived too long with all the rules you had given me." Blaine blushed. "But you have them all down. You're perfect together."

Blaine looked over at his husband, who was now talking with Rachel and her current boyfriend. Everything was meant to work out in the end. Even if he had been blind through half their time together, his best friend was always the one his heart would belong to, and Blaine was proud to wear the ring symbolizing that for the rest of their lives.


End file.
